The Man Who Fell to Earth

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Since the 1980s millions of film aficionados have been able to collect their
favorite movies and television shows thanks to the rapid acceptance of a new
piece of equipment, home VCR. The film to be considered especially important
source for crucial to the advancement of the artistic expression cinema,
reassuring to collect multiple copies of the same movie as technology advances
and the quality of the copy increases exponentially. A recent example of this is
a personal favorite of mine since 1976 I first watched it in an often frequented
theater in Greenwich Village, ‘The Man Who Fell to Earth.' Initially, the draw
to see the movie was because it stared music icon, David Bowie. Anyone who has
seen his stage show knows that he was a rare talent use the entire essence of
his being into every performance. Constantly reinventing this persona, the
audience was never quite sure what they were in for but, they knew beyond any
doubt that would be an unforgettable experience. This film represented the
feature film debut for this man of eclectic talent. Almost a decade later I was
able to make a copy from cable television and some years after that I received
the DVD of the film. By that time I realized that the real cinematic importance
of this movie extended beyond its star.

As my appreciation of movies deepened, I endeavored to become an autodidact
of the cinematic art form. I realized that one of the most important elements of
this film is that it is an early work of the most innovative directors of our
time, Nicolas Roeg. He was a direct influence on such incredibly talented
filmmakers as, Quentin Tarantino, Danny Boyle Steven Soderbergh, and Ridley
Scott. Roeg was a staunch believer that the audience cannot be a passive voyeur
staring at the screen watching the film. He was known for taking elements of the
story line and deconstructing them visually presenting images that the audience
would have to process to understand the narrative actively. Unlike most
directors of the time, the chronology was multivariable Roeg defragment and
reassemble to achieve his artistic vision the collaboration between Roeg and
Bowie was brilliant and remains one of the most imaginative moments in cinema.
Every time I have seen this film, my appreciation growing is in scope, and my
enhancing my understanding through a renewed experience that enveloped me in
greater detail and nuances than previously possible.

The central plot point is movie has been a perennial favorite of science
fiction writers for many years, extraterrestrial beings come to earth in search
for order, a commodity crucial for life and almost nonexistent on their home
world. Since then science has proven that water is one of the most indicative
substances in the galaxy some of the moons of our gas giants in possession of
far more of the crucial substance down on our entire planet. Besides the vast
abundance, these aliens did not have to contend with those pesky indigenous
carbon life forms that would complicate the aqueous harvest. Science begins me
obliged to add this fact but as far as the context of the story goes the titular
man, assuming the terrestrial identity of Thomas Jerome Newton (David Bowie),
was dispatch here to bring water back to his drought-plagued the world. As soon
as he arrives on, Newton leverages the substantially advanced technology of his
home world to obtain patents on some technological wonders. At the time this
movie was filmed the first personal computers were just beginning to appear in
garages and what would become Silicon Valley. Newton becomes one of the
wealthiest men on the planet consolidating his technology the global
corporation, World Enterprises Corporation. Oliver Farnsworth (Buck Henry)
becomes the most members of the Corporation senior management and a trusted
confidant Mr. Newton. He achieved this position by being an American patent
lawyer, now entrusted mostly aggressive and robust portfolio of patents ever
assembled. As an extraterrestrial, Newton did not share the motivations for
accumulating such incredible wealth. He did not become a multi-billionaire to
attain any political or social power. This sole goal was to accumulate
sufficient financial resources to construct a vessel capable of bringing water
back to his desperate planet.

During an inspection trip to New Mexico Newton encounters Mary Lou (Candy
Clark), an employee of a small, local hotel. The hotel was tiny that Mary Lou
held several concurrent positions; maid, bell-hop, and elevator operator. She is
an introverted young woman whose loneliness evaporated has she develops a
relationship with the billionaire. She is instrumental in acclimating Newton to
the nuances of life on earth. With Mary Lou as his guide, Newton becomes better
acquainted with such common aspects as religion, sex, and alcohol. His naiveté
on such mundane matters is intriguing to the young woman. Nothing remotely
interesting has ever happened to her, and now she has become the cultural guide
to one on the most influential men in the world. Newton’s coterie expanded by
the addition of another human being, Dr. Nathan Bryce (Rip Torn). A college
professor with a penchant for sexual conquests, he was hired by the corporation
as a propulsion expert specializing in advanced fuels. Sensing something
ineffable about his boss Professor Bryce hides a particular camera with X-ray
capabilities. He can verify that Newton exhibits some peculiar habits including
simultaneously watching several televisions and an appetite for alcohol. The
biggest shock was the X-rays revealed Newton’s true, extraterrestrial
physiology. This plot point opens the way for the third act of the story where
the launch of the spaceship draws near, close associates murdered and romantic
relationships collapse.

This film is not for people that expect little more from a movie than a
straightforward storyline. At times the narrative appears to follow a storyboard
devised by famed graphic artist, M. C. Escher. Linearity is not a convention not
fully embraced by the filmmaker. Ironically, Roeg is known for trademark
avoidance of storyboards for his films believing that such preparation
undermines the organic spontaneity of the work. This piece is an example of a
film that was crafted not as something to be merely viewed; it is an immersive
sensory experience. As soon as you place this Blu-ray into your home theater,
you have entered into a form of contract with the auteur to abandon you
preconceived expectations for a movie. This departure from reality and the
artistic norm was inevitable, the synergistic juxtaposition of two exceptionally
geniuses with uniquely talented, vision and perception. Doubtlessly, many
younger viewers will be critical of the special effects, dated and primitive by
contemporary standards. For those initiates to this particular type of film, my
advice is simple. Keep in mind those special effects were not included to
heighten a sense of realism, rather they reinforce the extraterrestrial origins
of the protagonist and the rationale for his naive lack of understanding to some
of the most routine elements of modern life, truly here Bowie and Roeg shine
like a binary star. The directorial style of ambiguous visuals is reinforced
with powerful impact by the androgynous appearance of the preternaturally thin
physical presence of Mr. Bowie create an unworldly platform for a remarkable
example of art capable of defining the period of its crafting while enduring
treasure. For a film so dependent of imagery the inherent resolution of a DVD is
insufficient, demanding the high definition remastering for this Blu-ray.

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